Phrases you've never understood.

[twistedmic]

"have your cake and eat it too." If I have a cake, it's because I'm going to eat it.

So... Go crazy.

You don't understand it because it's being said wrong. The phrase is- "You can't eat you're cake and have it too'. Because once you eat the cake, you no longer have it.

I remember as a child my sister burst into tears and my dad said "if you don't be quiet i'll give you something to cry about".

I always took it to mean that the speaker was going to smack/hit the person crying, usually because they were crying over something inconsequential.

When in Rome!

I believe that the saying was "When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Meaning that you should observe and follow the basic customs and traditions of whatever country/city/state/etc. you are visiting.

OT: Touch wood. Are trees Satanists now and must be avoided so fate doesn't come after you?

Touching, or knocking on wood, I'm fairly positive, is a tradition/superstition left over from Druids or other nature worshipers. Knocking on wood was most likely to scare off any mischievous/ evil spirits

 

[Dracowrath]

OT: Touch wood. Are trees Satanists now and must be avoided so fate doesn't come after you?

It's similar to "knock on wood". It goes back to an ancient belief that gremlins would come out of the wood to cause something you said to go the opposite. Like, "My garden is growing nicely!" *gremlins emerge to infest said garden with pests and ruin it*. And the only way to stop this was to knock on a nearby piece of wood three times, because that...confuses them or something.

Edit: Ninja'd

 

[twistedmic]

INB4 "I could care less"

Umad?

Edit: Head over Heels, My head is generally over my heels, regardless of mood.

That's because retards say it wrong.

It's "I couldn't care less."

I have to say, I love your response. That's the exact same thing I think whenever someone messes up that saying.

 

[DarkRyter]

"Can't see a forest for the trees".

So, it's impossible to look at a forest on behalf of the trees?

 

[Dracowrath]

Tit for tat. I know what a tit is, but wtf is a tat?

Tits in exchange for tattoos
I buy my fiancée a tattoo, she shows me her tits........
Happiness all round

Wait, seriously?

 

[Schlen]

"Can't see a forest for the trees".

So, it's impossible to look at a forest on behalf of the trees?

You can't see the big picture because you're focusing on the small things

 

[Blunderboy]

"Can't see a forest for the trees".

So, it's impossible to look at a forest on behalf of the trees?

Exactly. By focusing on the little things (i.e. Trees) you miss the big picture that they go together to produce (i.e. The Forest).

 

[kickyourass]

Well there's "same difference" I've never understood what the fuck that's supposed to mean.

I've always had an issue with "A poor workman blames his tools." I sorta get the idea behind it, I just think that there has to be a better way to say it.

Also I know it's been said before, but I feel that anyone who uses the phrase "I could care less" should be slapped.

 

[A.A.K]

balls to the wall action. I don't get it.

 

[Alakaizer]

Tit for tat. I know what a tit is, but wtf is a tat?

Tits in exchange for tattoos
I buy my fiancée a tattoo, she shows me her tits........
Happiness all round

Wait, seriously?

No, it's basically just "this for that," which is also the translation of the Latin "quid pro quo." It's basically just equivalent exchange.

It's not over until the Fat Lady Sings.

I believe Portal 2 is somewhat of an exception.

That one comes from opera, and Portal 2 wasn't over until the grand turret opera.

 

[Acidwell]

Well there's "same difference" I've never understood what the fuck that's supposed to mean.

"Same difference"...that's an oxymoron, so I don't know what you mean.

Not really.
The difference between 4 and 6 is 2. The difference between 6 and 8 is 2. In bothe cases its 2. Same difference.
Its another way of saying 6 of one half a dozen of another.

 

[sean360h]

the cake one it doesn't make any sense at all not eating it is just a waste
But you beat me to it

 

[Mr. 47]

Bow chicka wow wow.

EHKOS: The phrase's full form is 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' I assume that this is historic. The Roman Empire conquored many areas, enforcing laws on the citizens on those areas. The area they conquored had to follow their rules, if not, death. If they didn't do what the romans did (or told them to do) they were probably executed. For example, when Christianity was beginning as a religion, it was unaccepted by the vast majority of Rome. Early practicers were executed in public to set an example for those who did not follow the standard Roman religions. I could be talking out of my ass as to it's origin, but that is what I believe.

 

[Bofore13]

Whenever people use a noise to replace a word, most recently i asked about some psychological disorder and my professor said "It's just like schwitt ya know?"

 

[Korolev]

There are few phrases I cannot understand, but there are a lot of phrases I hate:

1) "Science doesn't know everything": Well duh. If it did, it would stop now wouldn't it? Saying that Science cannot (yet) explain X is not an argument that it never will be able to, or that whatever hokey-pokey baloney substitute can explain it. Science once couldn't explain what lightning was. Now it can. Science once couldn't explain how the sun worked. Now it can. Science once couldn't explain what light was. Now it can! You see the pattern?

2) "My Country Right or Wrong". Why would you support your country if it did something wrong? Morality should ALWAYS come before patriotism, in every case, in every instance. If your country does something wrong, a TRUE patriot would point it out and try to correct it.

3) "There are no atheists in Foxholes" - a blatant lie. There are quite a few. Look up the stats yourself if you don't believe me.

4) "It's always darkest before dawn". This makes no sense at all - it's equally dark before 1 hour before dawn as it is 4 hours before dawn (at least in most parts of the world). In fact, juuuuuuust before dawn, the sky starts to get a little brighter. Whoever came up with this phrase obviously never saw a sunrise.

5) "It takes one to know one" - No. It does not.

As for the whole "Have your cake and eat it" phrase, I remember hearing that it was actually "Eat your cake and have it too" originally. This was to say: "You can't eat your cake and still have a cake" - once it's eaten, it's gone. It's been corrupted into the "Have your cake and eat it too" phrase we all hate.

 

[Baneat]

Have my cake and eat it too..

But if I ate the cake, I wouldn't have it anyway! So go for that option ofc.

 

[Sethzard]

"have your cake and eat it too." If I have a cake, it's because I'm going to eat it.

I think that's to do with the idea that you can't keep your cake if you want to eat it. You can either have it for a long time, or you can eat it, not both.

All of mine have been mentioned so I don't really have anything to add.

 

[Barziboy]

When someone says they made a bee line for something. Have you ever seen the way a bee flies? It's not quickly and in a straight line.......

Bee-line is something to do with rock-climbing.

When in Rome! HAHAHA I NINJAD ALL OF YOUUUU!

Ahem... I cannot think of any at the moment.

The full phrase is "When in Rome...do as the Romans."